** Fish Could Protect a Diabetic’s Kidneys

Disclaimer: Results are not guaranteed*** and may vary from person to person***.

A study in Britain has discovered a new way fish could influence health. This study found a great result for, in particular, people with diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic illness that affects your body’s ability to use blood sugar. The body tends to resist the effects of insulin, which is a hormone that allows sugar to be absorbed into cells in order to be used as energy. Some can manage the condition through diet and exercise, while others require drugs or insulin therapy to keep sugar levels
safe.

Back to the study. Researchers found that two servings of fish a week reduced the risk of kidney disease in diabetics. The study counted more than 22,000 adults, more than 500 of whom had diabetes.

They measured fish consumption through questionnaires about diet and lifestyle. Diabetics who consumed less than one serving of fish a week were 18% more likely to have signs of kidney disease. That figure is just four percent for those who ate two servings or more per week. Those “signs” are protein levels found in the patients’ urine. The presence of protein is an early sign that kidney disease is setting in.

So, how does fish, better known for its rich levels of omega-3 fatty acids, exert this benefit? The UK researchers suggest there is a special assortment of nutrients found in fish. These might enhance kidney function by improving blood sugar control and cholesterol levels. Fish-lovers may also have other factors in their lifestyle that could reduce
their risk of protein in the urine, but these were not taken into account.

So, the fish protection remains a suggestive link, but a good one and one that can easily be followed. In fact, heart specialists across the globe routinely recommend that everyone get at least two servings of fish a week. That is not a difficult chore. A tuna sandwich for lunch on Tuesday, a salmon fillet on Friday for dinner — and there it is! Once fish becomes a certifiable food option in a person’s mind, it is not hard to achieve two servings a week. And the more the merrier.

Dietary changes remain the simplest tool for optimizing your own health. Combined with exercise, choosing appropriate foods will go a long way to shielding the body from disease. There are a few other ways to keep protein in the urine from building up. They include not smoking, following a diet specifically designed for diabetics, monitoring blood sugar levels regularly and maintaining a healthy blood pressure.